Tag Archives: Parenting

My husband, Rich, lost his dad unexpectedly when he was eight. When father and son functions happened through the years, men from church and his friends’ dads always included him. Perhaps that’s why my husband has such a heart for Little League baseball and is known throughout our community as a caring coach. When our next door neighbor and…

One of the most paralyzing parts of first becoming a new mom is the expectation that you will instinctively know what you are doing — right away. Once, after I expressed my anxiety about having my first baby, a man actually said to me, “Oh, please. Women have been squatting in fields and having babies…

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I had just announced to our four kids it was time for bed. One child, responded that he was hungry. Another with an emotional meltdown. Our oldest son forgot he needed a test signed, which led to a rather lengthy discussion of other assignments due later…

Motherhood is flying by. It seems just yesterday I was postpartum-weeping with a fussy newborn in my arms. Now, my oldest is nearly a decade old, which leaves me just 412 Saturdays left with him. (I counted.) Of all the things I hope to accomplish in this brief window of time with my children, at…

Easter Love Letters Social media and texting are great ways to communicate with one another. iMessage makes it easy to stay in touch with friends while Instagram connects us with people we wouldn’t have otherwise met. Technology is fantastic; however, it has slowly replaced more meaningful contact such as face-to-face conversations and handwritten letters.…

I didn’t realize life would get this busy so quickly. The move up to seventh grade for our oldest son filled our calendar full of new activities and opportunities, from jazz band and show choir to cross country and research projects. These are all wonderful things and we love seeing his God-given talents shine,…

Picture this: you are in your house alone watching television and you hear the front door open and bang against the wall. You jump off the couch. Your heart is racing and you stand frozen for a moment. Then you start to run but you don’t know which way to run or why you are…

Last year, during one of those miraculously divine appointments that only our great God can arrange, a beautiful, bright-eyed college student walked into my life. As I’ve gotten to know this young lady, I’ve discovered that God has blessed her with a multitude of gifts. She’s smart, sensitive and compassionate. She possesses a heart…

Several years ago I was roped into trying to read the Bible in ninety days. I say “roped” not because I didn’t want to do it or because I thought it was a bad idea, but because I suspected it would be nearly impossible for a busy mom. But I eventually decided to give…

I love loving the people who are special to me. I love all things sweet and sappy and sentimental. I love red puffy hearts and pink shiny bows and glittery Valentine cards. I love heart-shaped pancakes in the morning, heart-shaped sandwiches at lunch and heart-shaped pizzas for dinner. I love presents covered in heart wrapping paper…